Simply put we must eat for what we do! This is going to be a dense info packed post so lace up your shoes so we can get started. The post is for everyone too, not just athletes. Basically you should be eat for what you are doing day in and day out. For those who are looking for weight management then (quality) calories in and calories out is the key; for competitive athletes, recovery, performance, and hydration is the key; for the recreational athlete, maybe just being able to go out and enjoy your self is the key.
All that being said almost everyone should follow periodization. I’m going to refer to athletes a lot but this can translate into just about anyone. Periodization in the sports world is basically having organized segments of training leading up to the main event/competition/race/meet or whatever it may be. Generally the training cycles are broken up into microcycles, mesocycles, and macrocycles. To elaborate a little more:
- microcycles – generally last about 2 weeks. (This may be a “high intensity” week in a training block)
- mesocycles – are the more common phases of training that last weeks to months (base building, peaking, strength phase, endurance phase, power phase, etc.)
- macrocycle – a combination of many mesocycles that consist of the whole training season.
Now that I gave a little background on periodization in the training aspect, I’m going to focus on the nutrition component of the mesocycles. Each mesocycle focus’ on a different training component and each training component uses a different energy system. For example, those who are in a phase where they are trying to build power, fast digesting carbs may be the emphasized in the diet prior to workout, while an increase in protein/fats after the workout may be needed. Likewise, those in their endurance phase may be looking to increase their intake of carbs prior to a long run to maximize glycogen stores and practicing nutrition during exercise.
Now that the background has been discussed, you can start designing your own nutrition plan . There are 3 key things you should ask yourself first.
1. What is my goal right now?
Think short term, like 4-6 weeks. If your goal is fat loss, how are you going to achieve that
goal through diet? If your goal is being 100% ready for all training, what are you going to eat before during and after your training sessions to make sure you have the best training session possible? If your goal is lowering your cholesterol, what dietary habits are you going to adopt to raise HDL cholesterol or lower LDL cholesterol? If you asked yourself these questions and don’t know how to answer them, let’s talk and get you on the right path.
2. What am I not willing to change?
Still have to eat pizza on Friday nights? that’s fine work around it; Don’t want to wake up before 9? that’s fine work around it. Most things I would say are ok and you can work around it to reach your goals. Some things are not ok though and I would strongly suggest my clients to change. One of the biggest one’s is soft drinks. No matter what your goal may be soft drinks may be hindering you from reaching your goal if you indulge in them too much. So really think about how committed you are to your health before you say that you are willing to change something.
3. How am I going to measure my progress?
This is definitely a big one. I would also say the more the merrier in terms of measuring. Get a baseline from when you start and measure yourself every 4 weeks or so to see how you are progressing. An easy one for those looking to lower your cholesterol is to obviously go get your cholesterol tested. Personally I take about 10 measurements and benchmarks every 4-5 weeks or so to see how I’m progressing. Here’s a list of what I do:
- Height (only because you need that for BMI)
- Weight
- BMI (Although it is a poor indicator of health status in athletes)
- 4-site skinfold
- Body fat%
- Waist circumference
- MAF Test (it’s a 3-mile test, more info here)
- Push-up test
- Pull-up test
- Max Plank Time
- 5 Rep Max on single leg leg press
- 5 Rep Max on deadlift
The point of me for taking so many measurement is get a good picture of how my training is progressing in regards to body composition. If my weight is going down but body fat is going up I know I need to change something. Some people may just get weight and be happy with the weight going down. If my strength tests are getting better, weight is staying the same, and MAF Test is getting worse then I know I need to change something since my goals are aligned as an endurance athlete and swim/bike/run longer and faster.
There you have it. A very dense information packed post but it is a great starting point for those looking to design their own plan. Once again if you have any questions or aren’t sure about something feel free to comment or contact me.
All Around Nutrition 